


i went downhill at such steep incline, that my rearview mirror showed me only the sky

by cosmicpoet



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 00:32:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16545341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmicpoet/pseuds/cosmicpoet
Summary: Kaito asks Maki for help studying. But he has perfect grades already...?





	i went downhill at such steep incline, that my rearview mirror showed me only the sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [criischan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/criischan/gifts).



Maki rolls out of class on heels primed for running away. She’s short, which means she can bustle through crowds like a razor blade, ignoring everyone until she gets to where she needs to be - wherever that is. It’s normal for her, so she looks down to the floor, begging for the cheap tiles to come alive and take her somewhere else, swallow her up into Hell, wherever life wills her to go.

She’s so caught up in this effortless dance. Ballerina assassin feet against cracking tiles, calling themselves floorboards, trying to take up more space than allowed. There are rules in society. And what was it, again? Caught up, yes, in this effortless dance. So much so, in fact, that she loses footing, falling directly into a boy that she barely recognises.

Sure, he’s in some of her classes. Sure, he smiles at her in the hall. But she’s never taken the time to know him, even his name, and now she’s embarrassed.

“Sorry,” she mumbles, trying to avoid conversation. But this boy must think otherwise, and of course he does, because now she remembers him - his loud voice in class, his efforts to make everyone feel welcome, his opinions, his _loudness._ What’s his damn name?

“Hey, you’re Maki Harukawa, right?”

“Y-Yeah,” she says, even more ashamed now for not knowing his name, “I’m sorry, I’m bad with names. You are…?”

“Kaito. Kaito Momota. We’re in maths together, aren’t we?”

“Yes. Yeah, we are.”

“I’m glad I bumped into you, actually. Are you free this period?”

Maki glances at her feet. She knows, she _knows_ that she is free, but saying so would bind her into a contract with Kaito, and she’s not sure she wants to spend time anywhere or with anyone. She wants to be nothingness, alone.

And of course, that’s her mind talking. The depression, acting up again, making her pale, stark white, fogging her mind with smog and mist until she can’t think. She wants to be alone because damn, it’s just _easier._ Especially with people like Kaito, who she makes a direct point to avoid, because their positivity might just seep into her, and that’ll give her hope that would break her when it is inevitably lost. 

Her mind, however, the impulsive thing, speaks for her. 

“Yeah.”

“Awesome! Do you mind coming to the library with me? I really need help with this week’s work. I’ve booked a study room, so we won’t be disturbed by other people - I know you like it quiet. I can tell.”

“Sure. Why not?” Maki says, surprised at her own audacity. It’s strange, to her, how easily her footsteps fall in time with Kaito’s, until she’s drifted her way to the library, and she’s sat opposite him. He wasn’t lying; he really _did_ book a study room.

“I just don’t get simultaneous equations. Like, I _do,_ like, I know how to do it, I just…”

“You just can’t?”

“Yeah.”

“No, I get you. I’m the same. I’m wondering, actually, why did you want to study with me?”

“Because…you get high grades…”

“Oh, right,” Maki says, wondering why the hell she’s sad all of a sudden.

Her feet turn over under the table, the agitation filling her with anxiety. There’s something so alien about this situation, it makes her feel out of control - and that’s the worst thing for her. Ever since her turbulent childhood in the orphanage, she’s needed to be on top of all situations, at all times, in all realities.

“Maki, you there?”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Yeah, you were daydreaming,” Kaito laughs, putting his arm behind his head.

“It happens.”

“Oh, yeah, of course! I do it all the time.”

Maki looks down, simply because she doesn’t know how else _not_ to meet his eye, and she catches an accidental glimpse of Kaito’s workbook. In it, she sees everything that he apparently doesn’t know; a perfectly filled in copy of this week’s homework, notes on simultaneous equations. Everything to suggest that he doesn’t actually need her help. 

So what is he doing? Mocking her? Setting her up for an elaborate prank? Her mind tosses thoughts around, and she purses her lips against her teeth, grinding, visceral enamel. This is the exact reason why she doesn’t trust people; no, she’s _sick_ of it. Sick to fucking death of being used.

“Fuck you, Kaito,” she says.

His face turns from a smile to abstract confusion. But when he looks at her, there isn’t hatred in his eyes - far from it, in fact. He looks like he loves her, which is a ridiculous thought even to her rational mind, and it makes her want to spit in his face.

“What?” Kaito says.

“Look at your workbook. You’ve already got all the answers! So you don’t need me to tutor you. So what is this? Some stupid prank? Are you setting me up? Wasting my time? I could fucking crush you, you know that? I don’t know why everyone thinks it’s funny to make fun of me and bully me and -”

“I just didn’t know how else to get to know you.”

“What?”

Now it’s Maki’s turn to be confused.

“Yeah,” Kaito says, hastily loosening his tense muscles, like he’s no longer afraid of her, “I really want to get to know you. But you always rush out of class once the bell rings, and I can never find you at lunch. So, I thought…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“So it’s not a prank?”

“Nah. I wanted to…never mind. It’s stupid. Are you alright?”

“No, go on,” Maki says with curious inflection in her voice, betraying how invested she is in this conversation.

“No, seriously, are you alright? You looked like you were going to stab me.”

“Yeah, that. Sorry. Jumping to conclusions keeps me safe.”

“I get you.”

“But seriously, Kaito, what were you going to say?”

“I wanted to ask you…I was wondering if you…will you go on a date with me?”

“A date?”

“With me.”

“Why?”

“Not the response I was hoping for.”

“No, really, why?”

“I guess…I want to get to know you. You seem sad, sometimes, and I’m sorry if that’s presumptuous or anything. I just…I like you, Maki.”

“Oh. Yes.”

“What?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you, Kaito.”

**Author's Note:**

> For my amazing wonderful talented friend Criis!! I love her momoharu art and she inspires me all the time! Check out her brilliant artwork on twitter [@Cruuuuuuus](https://twitter.com/Cruuuuuuus)!
> 
> Title from 'Downhill' by Lincoln, which is a really Momoharu song, listen to it!


End file.
